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Thai O Visas for Spouses of Work Permit Holders

Transcript of the above video:

This video is intended to discuss O visas but specifically in the context of O visas issued to foreign national spouses of another foreign national who has already been issued a business visa and a work permit in order to work in the Kingdom of Thailand. So those of you who were interested in information about the O marriage visa, the Thai O visa, I strongly recommend checking out another one of the videos on this site which specifically discusses the O visa so check that out.

So specifically, what we're discussing here and let's just sort of lay out a scenario where one of these is basically you got a foreign national, he gets a job in Thailand, he or she gets a job in Thailand or starts a business and goes ahead and travels to Thailand and takes up employment in either their own business or someone else's company or publicly traded company whatever. For purposes of further discussion is all irrelevant. It’s an individual who comes to Thailand, foreign national on a business visa and work permit.

Well what if that individual is married? Well if that individual was married, then the other foreigner, the foreign spouse of that foreign national can then come to Thailand and seek what's called an O visa. It is an O visa. It's a specific kind of visas there are O visas issued as previously noted to the foreign spouse of a Thai citizen. This O visa is issued and it's very much dependent on work permit status so it is an O visa issued to the spouse of someone who has a work permit visa here in Thailand.

So notable things to think about with respect to the spousal O visa is first of all, it simply is what it is. It's a visa. One can remain, one does not have to work on that visa if they do not wish to. There's no other sort of condition of that status other than simply remaining lawfully married to the individual who has the B visa and who has been married you know the other spouse. It is interesting to note that technically speaking, it is possible for that individual to get a work permit. So let's say that individual comes to Thailand with their spouse, the spouse takes up their job and then after a few months being on the ground in Thailand, the other spouse besides undertake employment. It's possible to go ahead and get a work permit based on independent O visa. In fact, I would someone argue from a policy standpoint, probably the Thai government would prefer the other spouse to do that because then that individual is in Thailand paying taxes presumably. In fact not presumably it's one of the requirements to maintain a work permit that one maintain and keep up their taxes. It just should be noted that there's really no bar on work permit use. One who's on O visa can go ahead and get a work permit pretty much as freely as one who's on any other kind of visa here in Thailand, B or O but O based on Thai spouse. So sort of in closing to wrap this up, it's possible and it's often the case where the foreign spouse and the foreigner in Thailand who's got B and work permit status can get independent visa and that individual can get a work permit based on that O visa status.